The prices of tomatoes have soared from Rs 40 per kg in June to an average of Rs 100 per kg in the first week of July.
The prices of tomatoes in India have skyrocketed by more than 300 per cent due to extreme weather conditions. The country is witnessing rainfall in several parts, leading the kitchen staple to get damaged or washed away, or lack of adequate showers in others hits production and transportation. The cost is likely to rise even more and may reach up to Rs 300 per kg in the coming weeks, according to agriculture experts.
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As per Money Control, National Commodities Management Services Limited (NCML) Chief Executive Officer, Sanjay Gupta said that the problem of price rise will go on for some time. He even mentioned that amid rains, no new plantation can be done. “Prices will continue to rise in weeks to come. It will be a minimum of 2 months before we see prices stabilise,” he added.
The prices have soared from Rs 40 per kg in June to an average of Rs 100 per kg in the first week of July. Amid the heavy rainfall, which impacted the supply from different regions of the country, the prices increased on average to Rs 200 kg.
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Tomato is majorly cultivated in states including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Haryana. As per the reports of the Ministry of Agriculture, these states record 91 per cent of the total production of the country.
The current supply of tomatoes is only being done from southern and some northeastern areas. The weather conditions are not only the reason for the low supply. Tomato is a short duration crop which is very sensitive to heat and extremely susceptible to viruses. Parts of the crop were destroyed due to an early heat wave which hit large parts of India between February and March. Two different viruses also damaged the crops in Karnataka and Maharashtra.
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Another reason for low production is farmers losing hope of getting fair prices for their grown crops.
On July 12, the Department of Consumer Affairs ordered the procurement of tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka for distribution in major consumption centres to check the increasing retail price. The ministry in the statement mentioned that the new crop arrivals are expected soon and prices are expected to decrease shortly.
